CT Social Gathering Limits Greatly Expanded: Lamont

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont will expand the limit for private social gatherings starting Wednesday with up to 25 people allowed indoors and up to 100 outdoors. Wednesday also marks the state’s second reopening phase which will bring back things like indoor dining, gyms and amusement parks.

Gathering sizes for organized events like fireworks will also be modified come July 3; the limit will be somewhere around 500 people so long as social distancing can be maintained, Lamont said. Groups of people should stay 15 feet away from others.

Connecticut along with New Jersey and New York have made headway in keeping coronavirus infections to a minimum; all three states are among the lowest in the nation for transmission rates, which is the average number of people an infected person will spread the virus to. Lamont attributed the low transmission rate to a high level of mask use and the fact that Connecticut was among the hardest-hit states early in the pandemic.

There are 201 people hospitalized for COVID-19, which is a two patient drop in the past day; that is about a 90 percent drop from the state’s peak. The state also reported another 114 positive coronavirus cases out of 5,041 tests. Six more deaths were reported, which brings the state’s total to 4,210.

Mid-July will mark the start of bigger permitted outdoor gatherings for things like weddings. Around 250 people will be allowed at those events so long as social distancing could be maintained, Lamont said.

“Those are things you can plan accordingly knowing that there is a fair amount of risk,” he said, warning that all his administration’s decisions are based on coronavirus metrics like hospitalizations.

Lamont’s own daughter decided to postpone her wedding that was scheduled for Labor Day weekend.

Outdoor event venues like race tracks and amphitheaters will also be allowed to open to 25 percent capacity sometime in July.

See also: Child, 10, Fatally Struck After Getting Ice Cream: PD

• E. Coli Recall: Beef Sold At Walmart Pulled From CT Stores
• Popular Restaurant Permanently Closes

Nursing home report

Connecticut has hired an independent consultant to analyze the state and nursing home response to the pandemic. The consultant will offer interim recommendations by mid-August and a final report by the end of September, said state COO Josh Geballe.

Lamont said the report is mainly to analyze best practices for nursing homes going forward.

“[We] want to see why there was such a differential,” he said. “Some had zero infections some had very, very, very high infection rates and fatalities. What were the moving metrics there? We want to make sure we get it right if there is a second surge going forward.”

“Are there penalties and consequences, absolutely,” Lamont said. “Some of these nursing homes have been fined already.”